Hall High School and Wesleyan University Grad Brings Ghosts Back To Mark Twain House

It's nearly October and you know what that means, time for ghosts and goblins and spirits that bump in the night. And of course the Mark Twain House & Museum is more than ready to celebrate the eerie and the unexplainable.

In conjunction with its soon-to-open new exhibition, "Spiritualism, Seances & Sam," there are a host of spirit-related programs including one featuring West Hartford native and best-selling illustrator and author Lisa Brown. Brown, who attended Hall High School and Wesleyan University, (and who happens to be married to fellow best-selling author Dan Handler, better known as author Lemony Snicket) will discuss her book, "Picture The Dead" at a free program at the Mark Twain House on Oct. 14. Her book, aimed at the young-adult audience, is a historical fiction story set during the American Civil War. So what's so creepy? Brown, who now lives in California and is an award winning illustrator as well, explains that and more.

Q: Have you always been intrigued by ghosts and such? And where did you ever find any in West Hartford, CT?

A: I have always, always been intrigued. New England has a really rich ghost history. I loved dark places, the whole ghostly thing growing up and Halloween is always my favorite holiday. My favorite book when I was growing up was 'Georgie the Ghost', a story about a little ghost by Robert Bright. I loved the stories about The Green Lady and going to cemeteries with my friends in high school. We would go for drives and do grave rubbings. It's a morbid fascination that will always be.

Q: Sounds like you might have been a bit of an odd duck at Hall High School, no?

A: I was an odd duck but I found my community there in the art room. I think it was the place all the odd ducks were. And then I went to Wesleyan and well, there are a lot of odd ducks there.

Handout

Handout

Q: What will you be talking about at the Mark Twain House & Museum?

A: During the Civil War when there were more people dying in America than ever before there was a kind of trick 'spirit' photography going on intended to show the spirit. The person taking the picture could manipulate the camera so that you thought you saw a ghost with the person being photographed, and the idea was you were seeing a spirit or ghost as well. When you look at them now you can see they look fake and think 'how could people think they were seeing a picture of a ghost?' but they did.

Q: I know you co-authored the book with Adele Griffin and thought it was interesting you would write for the pre-teen/teen crowd, especially since probably unbeknownst to them it is more than just a scary book, it's historically based and educational as well. Has the book been successful?

A: It was released in 2010 and the paperback was released in 2012 and I think there has been success with it. There are kids, especially pre-teen girls, who like the spooky and historical, and the story and the pictures came out of something Adele and I love. Both of us learned that our favorite book at that age was the Witch of Blackbird Pond. That was also a book that is about a real world but then as a writer you create other worlds around it.

Q: Do you believe in ghosts?

A: No, I don't believe in ghosts. I write fiction. I believe that there are things we don't understand and that what we believe changes depending on any given time. It's Ok not to understand.

Q: Given your interest, I would imagine research takes you to some strange places. What has been the strangest place you have visited or the most unnerving experience as you wrote the book?

A: Thanks to the Internet, me in California and Adele in New York were able to research Brookline, Mass., where the story takes place, without leaving our homes. We did have one glitch though. We were planning to use a pond outside of Boston as part of the plot line. When I checked with the historical society to find out more about it, they told us no one could have ever drowned there because it was a malarial swamp and no one would ever go swimming there. The lesson learned was to always check with the historical society.

Q: I know you are married to Dan Handler, best known as Lemony Snicket, also a bestselling children's author, a lot of ego for one house. How do you manage?

A: We have been together so long, 22 years, so I have been longer with him than without him. We developed our careers as a team and consider ourselves a work in progress.

Q: You met at Wesleyan. First date?

A: People don't date at Wesleyan but I guess our first real date was when he took me for lobster at a place called Alfredo's in Middletown.

Q: Do you get back to Connecticut often?

A: Yes, my parents and brother still live in West Hartford. Boy, has that place changed.

Q: Something most people are surprised to find out about you?

A: That I'm from West Hartford, Connecticut..

Author Lisa Brown's talk on her new book "Picture the Dead'' is a free program that beings at 7 p.m. on Oct. 14. Information: marktwainhouse.org.